Epic photos of the solar eclipse from an Idaho mountaintop – GeekWire

Solar eclipse from the summit of Bald Mountain at the Sun Valley ski resort in Ketchum, Idaho (Photos by Kevin Lisota)

Ketchum, ID – Normally it is a powder day that brings the masses to Sun Valley for skiing, but today it was an opportunity to view the solar eclipse from the 9150 ft. summit of Bald Mountain at the ski resort.

The weather was perfect, with bright blue skies, but the valley here was socked in with wildfire smoke that blew in over night. Nevertheless, it was an epic location to see the solar eclipse.

A view from the summit of Bald Mountain before the eclipse began.

The experience of a total solar eclipse was brief, but amazing and difficult to describe. Whether it was the sudden darkness, the 360 degree sunset or the clearly visible corona of the sun, it was epic. Many attendees said that they were “moved” by it.

For those of you who missed totality, here is a glimpse of what it was like here in Idaho.

Solar eclipse viewers spread out at the summit of Bald Mountain in Idaho.Sun spots clearly visible during today’s eclipse.Be sure to wear those eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.Today’s eclipse was a photographer’s paradise.Wildfire smoke in Idaho made the scene more like the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.Moments before totality, a sliver of the sun’s photosphere remains.Jerika & Dave Mays traveled from Utah to celebrate their 5th anniversary. Notice the jackets. It was very cold during the eclipse!The “diamond ring effect” of today’s solar eclipse, along with some solar flares.The topography of the moon creates what is know as Baily’s Beads.The patterns of the sun’s corona are clearly visible during a total eclipse.One strange phenomenon is that as the total eclipse nears, your shadow becomes “crisp and well-defined.”This is the correct posture for viewing a solar eclipse in the mountains.When the eclipse was over, there was a concert with some dancing and cavorting.I was the first one up the hill, and one of the last ones down the lifts today.